When creating or updating your business website, one of your biggest concerns is likely going to be the site’s SEO. After all, everyone is aiming for that coveted number 1 spot on the search results!

If boosting your SEO strength is on your mind, then you might want to give some thought to your on-page content. The words you include on your site are important not just for getting the right message across to your potential customers, but also for getting Google to sit up and pay attention.

What is SEO copywriting?

SEO copywriting involves writing content for your website that is optimised with keywords and key phrases that your potential customers are likely using to search for your services. An SEO copywriter ensures that these words, and their variants, are appearing in the right places throughout your website. SEO copywriting is also a matter of straddling the line between copy that attracts Google, and copy that captures the attention of your human readers!

Here are 5 tips for creating SEO-friendly web copy for your own site:

1.Focus on the right words

The first step is to figure out what keywords to focus on for your business. There are a number of ways you can do your own research; check out Aaron’s post on keyword research to get you started.

2. Quality is key

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to be so concerned with keeping search engines happy, that you forget that real humans are actually the ones who will be making purchasing decisions!

Google isn’t silly, but more importantly, neither are the savvy folk reading your site, and both will spot a spammy approach a mile off. Search engines are looking for quality, relevant content that is updated regularly – and so are your readers! Focus on creating engaging web copy and you’ll find that fitting in your keywords naturally is not so hard.

3. More is less

Don’t assume that jamming your pages full of keywords in an unnatural manner is going to impress the search engine crawlers. This is also known as keyword stuffing, and will do you no favours in the eyes of Google. Again, focus on communicating your message with impact, and the keywords should fit in naturally. There are no set rules on keyword density ratio, but around 2-3% of the on-page content is a good aim, depending on the length of your content.

4. Optimised on-page elements

As well as the main content on your page, it’s important that the copy for all the other on-page elements also includes your targeted keywords. This means optimising your title, headings, intro text, and photos (alt text).

5. Compelling content

Once your web pages are sussed, the gates up the golden Google ladder are open, but you’ve still got some climbing to do to get to the top! This is where your on-going content marketing strategy comes in.

Your aim should be to create compelling content that people want to share. Sharing means inbound links, and links mean – you got it – better SEO! Links from other sites give Google a heads-up that you’re really the totally reliable, super trustworthy, and expert-of-all-experts that you say you are. Regular content updates keep Google – and your readers – interested and coming back for more. Again, keep it relevant, helpful, and most importantly, unique. Search engines do not like duplicate content, so ensure all your content updates are original.

It’s important to remember that good SEO will help you achieve long-term results. Paid advertising is great, but should be implemented alongside a solid SEO strategy that includes optimised on-page web copy and a smart content marketing gameplan. If you’re struggling to find the right words yourself, engaging the help of an experienced SEO copywriter is a good investment in the long-term success of your online marketing.